[Jewelry making - Article 00106] - Re: [Orchid] Nuggetwatches

[Peter W. Rowe]

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>        We do a lot of nugget work here in Alaska, but I've sure
>     never seen a white nugget. 

    I believe she's talking about the style of jewelry called
    "nugget", which originated somewhere in the '60s, and has been
    deteriorating ever since in tastlessness and overused style.  Has
    nothing to do with actual nuggets.  It's just a bunch of freeform
    carving into the wax model creating sorta chunky lumps, crevices,
    bumps, etc, which sorta look nuggety to some folks.  A bit like
    scattering aquarium gravel on a wax base, and molding it and
    casting it that way...  When if first came out it was new and
    experimental and all that.  Now it's usually associated with
    those segments of society that just wanna wear lots of gold, as
    flashy as possible, without much sense of design.  Goes well
    with the inch wide multiple serpantene/herringbone chains. 
    Popular with some of the manufacturers who like to keep
    manufactuering costs down, since you just tumble it, hard lap
    some bright facets on some of the higher lumps, rouge a little,
    and your done and out the door, without needing to worry so much
    about casting quality or careful finishing work or the like. 
    Plus, if your selling your gold by the gram, this stuff can be
    made as heavy as you like, or as nice hollowed out flimsy stuff
    that meets economy class price points, especially when cast in 7
    ct gold and plated with 18K color and stamped 14K or 18K anyway
    and then sold on credit, at 5x markups but then discounted so it
    can be called "on sale", to people who don't know any better and
    can ill afford to be throwing their cash away.  (OK, OK.  I take
    that back.  that last sentance was a cheap shot.  Most of it
    really is pretty close to the karat it's marked, and some of it
    is sold cheaply without bothering with the markup/discount down
    stuff. 

    Sorry if the above offends anyone.  Just calling it as I feel
    about it, having seen (and had to make) that sort of thing for a
    very long time now.  Can anyone tell I abhor the junk?  Some
    selected pieces can be nice enough, of course.  But it's been
    done so very much it's a very long way from original or
    innovative or modern or anything else like that, now.  And so
    many of the pieces you see are from fifth generation knock-off
    rubber molds that completely ignore any original copyrights and
    make no attempt to maintain the original quality,  and so much
    of it is so crappy, that for the life of me I cannot see how some
    salespeople can look a customer in the eye and say "this is
    beautiful and good quality".  Kind of a slap in the face to
    everything jewelers have developed in design trends and standards
    of goldsmithing skill over the last 30 years. 

    But then, thats just my opinion of this class of nugget jewelry.
     The stuff you guys do in Alaska, of course, decorating items
    with actual gold nuggets, is quite different, and though not
    usually on the cutting edge of design, instead draws it's
    validity from long traditions.  And it's often very nicely made
    too. 

    Like I said, just my 2 cents.  If, instead, you actually like
    that "nugget" style, then don't listen to my ranting, and enjoy
    it.  your choice. 

Peter Rowe
gettin off the soap box now.

    (PS, Oh, a suggestion.  For the watch, use a Longines movement. 
    Nice traditional mediocre quality movement often sold in such
    style jewelry, that somehow gained a reputation as being a high
    quality watch...  If that isn't available, then get a movement
    from a cheap quality plated immitation Rolex. Again, it seems
    traditional...) 


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